Curiosity but no faith, that seems an apt description for Joram, King of Israel. He wanted to know about Elisha and his exploits, but he had no honest interest in the God Elisha served. He entertains Gehazi, servant to Elisha, to hear wonderful stories about the man of God, but one never gains a sense that he is willing to trust in the Lord. I suspect he may have been willing to entertain stories of other gods as well, but this hunch cannot be confirmed.
Today, too, there are people who are curious about God; they dabble in this and that. They attend churches, listen to sermons and podcasts, and read books on spiritual topics. They love testimonies about what God or spiritual forces have done and can do.However, they don’t give themselves to any one religion or philosophy, much less to the God of the Bible, Father, Jesus Holy Spirit.
Sometimes they even talk about God as if they know him but there is no evidence of Christ-honoring discipleship in their lives. They dabble where it suits them, but never pick up the torch of faith and truly believe.
One of the sad facts, in my opinion, is that the person they are fooling most is themselves. Some of them truly believe they believe in God but whoever or whatever this god is, it most certainly isn’t the God of the Scriptures.
Curiosity can only take us so far. It can open the door and encourage us to begin listening to and exploring who God is, but there comes a crucial time when curiosity must give way to heartfelt faith if we are truly to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Have you moved from curiosity to faith? Joram, King of Israel, never did. I hope the same is not true for you.
Lord God, I thank You that Your Holy Spirit prompted me to cross the line of faith and to believe. My life has been changed. I am a new creature and I am Yours… Blessed be You name, Oh God, Father, Jesus, Spirit. I pray in Your name. Amen.
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